Greek Cypriot negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis will inform on Tuesday the Ambassadors of the five UN Security Council Permanent Members and the political parties about the outcome of the informal meeting held on Monday between Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu. The UN was informed about the outcome of the meeting last night.
The Greek Cypriot side continues to insist on the need for an agreement between the two sides on a joint communiqué before the resumption of the UN-led talks aiming to solve the problem of Cyprus, divided since the Turkish invasion of the island in 1974.
“The other side has a plan B. We do not consider that there is plan B. We will insist until we solve our problem and we will remain consistent to our position. We want a joint statement that will outline the basis of the talks and the right methodology for the process to be effective. We want these things to be clear and for this reason we cannot continue to work with constructive ambiguity,” a Greek Cypriot source has told CNA.
It said that the extreme positions of the Turkish Cypriot side, as expressed on Monday once again, prove that “we cannot build frail structures. Things have to be clear. We are ready in the framework of the process to provide the other side with safeguards which we consider self-evident, in order to meet their questions and insecurities. But we are not negotiating the issues related to the clear basis” of the talks, the source noted.
The Greek Cypriot side is willing to continue efforts, in the framework of the UN good offices mission, it added, noting that the informal meeting between Anastasiades and Eroglu was held at Anastasiades’ initiative in an effort to give an impetus to actions aiming at a joint communiqué.
However “difficulties remain as Turkish Cypriots do not want a joint communiqué” while at the same time they want “two sovereign founding states that will decide to share certain powers, while maintaining their sovereignty, citizens and territorial integrity.”
The same source noted that if the meeting between Anastasiades and Eroglu was held in the UN framework, then the Greek Cypriot side would not be consistent with its position that it will not proceed to a meeting of the leaders unless a joint communiqué is agreed. Furthermore it said that the Greek Cypriot side is in contact with the UN, adding that Mavroyiannis had a telephone conversation on Monday with UN Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer.
“We will see how things will evolve. Our position is that we are determined, we insist to continue our effort until it produces the desired results, and we want to see that happen the soonest,” the same source noted.